Beast Within: Dark Ending
by IIII coAtL IIII
Summary: The darker ending of the original Beast Within story in which Byakuya was forced to confront his Hallow. Focuses on Byakuya x Rukia moments, or rather a Hollow-Byakuya x Rukia. Read & Review
1. Chapter 1

As the name implies, this is the darker ending of the initial Beast Within story that I posted earlier. To get the full idea, one must read the original story to understand what happens before this starts.

Again, I want to thank **Wynn12** for encouraging me to go on with this idea.

* * *

[…]

Out of the collapsing remains of the fortress, a humanoid figure stood out. It was moving towards the cherry tree at a slow, steady pace. It was him. It was Byakuya, walking as calmly as ever. Senbonzakura started running towards him, that figure giving her new hope, but she stopped halfway before reaching him, stunned. She stared at the ground, a heaving silence bearing down on her domain, while the only thing she could hear was his footsteps. Getting closer, closer, closer. What if it wasn't him? What if that _thing_ came out instead? She glanced again at her surroundings, reminding herself of what was left of her land. Byakuya would never have allowed such a thing to happen to her beautiful domain. That means that…_he_ took over. No. Her lord would be stronger than that, she kept repeating to herself, and yet she couldn't help feel more doubt creeping up on her. With her gaze fixed at the ground in front of her, another wave of tears started to flow from her eyes when she finally admitted Byakuya's defeat. _He_ was coming now, coming to undo her and then reforge her to fit his own needs. The footsteps sounded close now, just a few meters away. Closing her eyes, she started counting the remaining steps he had to make, the seconds she had left of her existence. As the figure stopped in front of her, she clenched her fists, waiting for the killing blow.

The one in front of her remained silent ever after he stopped walking. Not able to resist the need to look at him, she opened her eyes and met two dark holes gazing back at her.

"Hello there… Senbonzakura" Byakuya grinned diabolically showing his teeth.

She tried to run but he grabbed her by the shoulders with both arms, squeezing more and more with each second.

"Y-You're hurting me!" came a shout from the obviously terrified woman in front of him.

"Its payback time, bitch" The hollow's power exploded, increasing more by the moment. She couldn't move as the air around them was pressing her to the ground, crushing her. With a last shriek Senbonzakura's image dispersed into thousands of pink petals that were now swarming around Byakuya.

A loud laughter traveled like an echo across the land as the petals started withering away and eventually turning black and dry. The hollow stretched out his hand, waiting, as the new form of Senbonzakura started to take shape in his palm. The blade, now completed as the last petal attached itself, felt cold to the touch, cracks and dents running all over the once flawless zanpakuto.

Byakuya turned to face the great cherry tree. Its wood was now dark and dried up, its branches stretching out like skeletal arms, covered in black, thorny vines that seemed to constrict around the wood choking the life out of it.

He started to walk towards the great wall that separated his inner world from the outside one. Corruption seemed to follow in his footsteps, as the lush gardens started to fade away and die as he passed. It was now time to take this desecration to another battlefield.

*********

Awakened from meditation, Byakuya got up on his feet and started walking back to the Kuchiki manor. Before entering, his black eyes looked up to catch a glimpse of the moon.

"Hmmm… it will be a red moon tonight." His serious face hiding the need for slaughter that took control of him.

Silent as a ghost, he walked the halls of the manor, stopping in front of a large door to one of the many rooms. One candle lit up the room of the elder who was now at his desk, going through some papers. Noticing Byakuya enter the room, he stood up, preparing to bow, with a clear hint of confusion as to what the leader of the family would want at this hour.

"Good evening, Kuchiki Byakuya-sama" but a second after finishing his greeting, the old man was pinned against the wall, feeling Senbonzakura's cold blade at the base of his neck. Now only a few centimeters from Byakuya, the elder saw the full black eyes of his assailant.

"Who… Who are you?" he questioned, with a terrified look on his face.

"I…" the air turned cold in the room as the candle died out "… am death incarnate." Byakuya's serious features were barely visible in the moonlight.

The old man tried to reply but much to his surprise, he couldn't seem to get the words out. He didn't even feel it. All that he saw was a wave of blood spraying the floor in front of him as the blade at his throat cut from one ear to the other. Choking on his own blood, unable to call for help, the hollow's first victim crashed on the floor, squirming like a fish out of the water. The moonlight highlighted a small smile on his attacker's face.

Byakuya stopped in front of another door further down the hall. Sliding the door open, he walked right in without hesitation,

"What is the meaning of this, Kuchiki Byakuya?" the elder reacted to his actions.

The hollow kept walking slowly towards him.

"Do you not hear me, Kuchiki Byakuya? Explain this behavior!" he demanded.

When he got close enough, Byakuya took the elder's hand by the wrist and slammed it onto the desk in front of them, holding it down.

"You are the one running the shots with the Council, right?" the hollow arched his lips into a grin when he saw the shock on the old man's face.

"Yes, I am pretty sure you are the one" he continued taking one of the elder's fingers with his other hand "This is with what you write those idiotic laws that kept me from enjoying anything in life, right?" Before the elder could talk, a loud crack echoed in the room. A scream followed, released by a man who was now desperately trying to remove his hand from under Byakuya's.

"What are you doing?! Have you lost your mind?!" the elder burst out between the screams of pain.

The hollow didn't seem to hear the man next to him, as he continued without changing the grin on his face, or the irony in his voice.

"Then again, it takes more than one finger to write something down…" More cracking sounds, followed by even louder screams.

Byakuya raised his head suddenly, his eyes now staring in the green ones of the elder. The head of the Kuchiki Council was struggling to get away from his oppressor.

"No. Wait. If I think about it, one uses his whole hand when writing." The old man's eyes widened as the next second, Byakuya grabbed his right elbow and ripped off his whole arm from his torso.

Seeing his victim lying in a pool of blood, barely breathing, crying from pain as he kept trying to crawl away from where he was, Byakuya bent down and grabbed the man by his hair, pulling him up again.

"Kuchiki Teiko, your services to the family will no longer be required. I hereby relieve you of your position… and your life" he thrust Senbonzakura through the heart of his target.

Letting go of the still twitching body of the Council Head, Byakuya turned away, walking out of the room, but outside he met the Kuchiki manor elite guards who had been awakened by the elder's screams and were now rushing to see what had transpired. Seeing Byakuya walk out of the room, they suddenly stopped.

"Byakuya-sama, what happened?" one of the guards asked while bowing his head.

"Nothing really… I've just killed Kuchiki Teiko, and rid the family of one of its biggest problems," he stated in a relaxed tone, as if he was talking about what he had for breakfast that morning.

The guard couldn't believe his ears but as he saw the blood staining Byakuya's captain haori, he took a defensive stance, placing his hand on the hilt of his sword.

"Kuchiki Byakuya, please surrender your zanpakuto and accompany us to the – "

"Or else _what_?" said the hollow slightly raising a brow.

The guard tightened the grip on his katana and narrowed his eyes. Byakuya disappeared for a second from his eye sight and appeared behind him. The guard's vision started to blur, as the last thing he saw was his upper body falling downwards while his lower body was still standing. The hollow giggled.

"_Or else what?_" he repeated the question, turning to face the other guards.

He disappeared again, this time appearing further down the hallway, where the row of guards ended. Blood started to flow like rivers, painting the scene of the slaughter in a crimson red. With the little flies that bothered him out of the picture, Byakuya resumed his _visits_ to the elders.

Room after room he would enter, leaving only death and screams behind him. Now there was only one person he had to visit…

*********

Rukia was also woken up by the screams in the manor. She had just finished putting on her shinigami outfit and attaching her zanpakuto to her waist when the doors to her room blast open, filling the air with dust and debris. Rukia saw a human shape move through the dust, coming to her so she pulled her sword out of its sheath but put it back immediately as she realized the one who entered was her brother.

"Nii-sama! What happened?"

He continued to walk towards her.

"N-Nii –sama?"She made a step back. For a second she thought she saw what looked like a grin on her brother's face but she dismissed the thought, blaming it on the debris that flew into the air, as he now had a very serious and worried look.

"Rukia, we must move quickly. I do not know how it was possible, but a hollow attacked the manor and killed off most of the guards. I could also sense the spiritual pressure of the Council Members disappear." His voice was cold and commanding.

Rukia's jaw dropped with surprise. How could a hollow get past the Sereitei patrols, attack and kill more than fifty trained guards _and_ the Council Members before she even got out of bed, or even more, before her brother could counter it?

"I had to hold Kuchiki Teiko through his last moments," he said when he saw Rukia look at the blood on his outfit. "What that beast did was unforgivable and I will show it the judgment of the sword."

Rukia detected a hint of anger in the way her brother was speaking, but she thought that even the cold block of ice known as Kuchiki Byakuya was capable of such feelings when he saw what happened in his very own manor.

"Nii-sama, we must find the hollow and kill it before it hurts anybody else!"She said with a determined voice.

"No," his tone was firm, which made Rukia stop dead in her tracks "I will find and fight the creature, but I cannot fight and worry about you at the same time. The hollow that did this must be a very powerful one and I cannot risk your safety."

Rukia was in shock again. She didn't yet know if it was because of what happened to the elders or because her brother actually _said_ that he worried about her well being. Surely, he saved her life more than four times now, but he never openly stated such a thing before, always acting cold and calculated. It now seemed like a fire was burning inside the man made of ice.

"We must leave. Follow me." It sounded more like a kind request rather than an order, like her brother used to give her.

Rukia almost threw up as they walked through the halls of the Kuchiki estate. The hollow had just massacred everybody. Blood was spattered everywhere, doors were broken down and human sized holes were present in the wooden walls. She looked at her brother. He was walking normally, as if it did not affect him.

_How can one have so much self control?_ She asked herself.

There she was, ready to mentally break down at the scene in front of them, andhis posture was as serious and impeccable as always. And yet, he just said he was worried for her.

Walking past some of the guard's corpses, Rukia noticed something strange about them, but she dismissed the thought immediately.

_It can't be… we killed every arrancar after Aizen was defeated. Was it possible for one to get away?_ She remembered that the Court of Pure Souls had spent a considerable amount of resources to hunt and destroy all of Aizen's creations.

The thought disappeared completely when they walked out of the manor. Fresh air and the sweet scent of flowers replaced the stench of blood that had taken over her nose. However, she didn't have time to take in too many deep breaths, as she felt a hand pressed on her back and another one lifting her knees up. Byakuya was carrying her in his arms.

"I am able to cover much more ground with my flashsteps. We can move faster this way. It is the best solution to save time at this moment," he stated before she could say anything.

He was right, Rukia thought, but couldn't help but blush at the closeness between them. She had heard her brother was fast, having learnt from the Goddess of Flash herself , Shihouin Yoruichi, but she would have never imagined he was this fast. He used shumpo so that she could not see her surroundings, even when he stopped to change direction. He noticed her hands kept burrowing further and further into his clothes, trying to get a grip as she kept her eyes closed.

"This should be far enough," she heard Byakuya speak, while putting her down.

_Far enough? Far enough??_ She couldn't believe that her eyes were barely able to see the Sokyoku hill from where she was standing. Clearly she had underestimated her brother's speed. _Still,_ she thought_ isn't this a bit excessive? _They were at the edge of a forest. She turned to her brother which was now a few feet from where he stopped, his back turned to her.

"N-Nii-sama?"

"Have I ever told you how much I dislike you calling me that way?" came a soft voice which made Rukia widen her eyes in surprise.

He glanced over his shoulder to look at her. She was beautiful, her big and violet eyes reflecting the light of the moon. There she was, awakened in the middle of the night by the screams of dying people, having seen the hell he had created at the manor, dragged to the outskirts of Sereitei and she was still trying to stand straight , trying not to tremble as the cold midnight wind was blowing through her shinigami robes. Why? Simply because she was around him, and the hollow knew this.

Rukia saw her brother turningand starting to walk towards her.

"Nii-sama, what are we going to do n–"

Byakuya tried to lean in for a kiss, but Rukia barely dodged his lips and jumped back.

_What the hell did he just do? Did he trip over something? _She looked at him again. Byakuya's posture was back to normal, thought she didn't see his face because of the shadows the trees casted down on him.

"Nii-sama??"

"Stop… CALLING ME THAT!" Byakuya snapped, making one flashstep to get next to her again, and was now holding her shoulders with his hands.

He moved one hand to the base of her neck and then up on her cheek, caressing it softly with his thumb but holding her head firmly. He leaned towards her again but this time she couldn't dodge it. He kissed her. In that moment, all she could ask herself was 'Why?' Had he lost his mind because of the recent events?

She had been kissed before, but not like this, definitely not like this. His lips, pressing onto hers, tasted bitter-sweet, and his tongue was forcing its way into her mouth. She tried to resist because she knew that what was happening was wrong, but it was almost impossible. It was as if his desire was flowing into her and taking her over, corrupting her thoughts, making all logic vanish. Her body started to react, as she felt goose bumps taking over her body. Feeling her less resistant, Byakuya deepened the kiss, but he also lost concentration and his reiatsu flooded the area. It was a mistake since Rukia snapped back to reality and opened her eyes to stare into the bottomless dark pits that were his.

Scared, her first instinct was to push him away with all her force, then jump away from where she was standing. Byakuya just stood there, in that position, following her movements with his head.

"What is the matter, Rukia?" he asked calmly.

"The hollow reiatsu… the black eyes… Where is Nii-sama??" **S**he gripped her sword.

"Don't be foolish, Rukia. It is me." He leaned with his shoulder on a nearby tree, his gaze still fixed on her.

"You…you are the one that killed everybody at the house, aren't you?"

"My, my… what makes you say that?" he tried to mimic a shocked face.

"The guards at the manor… their wounds were made by a sword, not by claws or teeth, like those caused by a normal hollow attack. So I was right - one of Aizen's arrancar escaped the Great Culling and has found his way into Sereitei."

"Good sense of observation, but I cannot believe you mistake me for one of Aizen's goons. I mean… I thought you'd sense the difference in power. Clearly I was mistaken. No problem. Allow me to show you." He grinned as his reiatsu exploded, putting Rukia to her knees.

"More?" The grin widened. He was putting even more pressure on her.

"Maybe _now_ you feel it?" He watched as her body started to tremble involuntarily from the strain.

"Still no?" She couldn't breathe.

"Such a pity. That is the best I can do" As he stopped releasing reiatsu, he watched the shinigami slowly getting back on her feet.

"Just kidding…"A final, stronger wave was released, which made Rukia fall down and pass out.

*********

When Rukia opened her eyes, the sun had just started to rise. Warm rays of sunlight touched her face and made her close her eyes again as she turned her back on the source of light hindering her sleep. Suddenly hearing the faint sound of dry leaves beneath her, her body jumped up automatically, her eyes looking around for her enemy. The first thing she noticed was the fact that she was not at the edge of the forest anymore. He must have changed their location in order to confuse her sense of direction, she concluded. Right when she started to wonder what happened to her brother, her eyes met the place she was sleeping not one minute ago.

_What the hell…?_

A _bed_ made of leaves, carefully gathered in the middle of the clearing she was in. She looked around again, seeing no threat, and then carefully putting one leg in front of the other until she was close to the pile of leaves.

_What kind of twisted joke is this?_

"Sleep well?" came heard a voice from behind her. She turned suddenly, her hand going for her zanpakuto but grabbing nothing.

"Oh, are you looking for this?" He raised his hand, two fingers gently holding Sode no Shiraiuky. He looked at the sword and then back at her "Aren't you a bit too old to play with toys?"

Rukia frowned furiously. He was taunting her, making a fool out of her. She made a step back, chanting the incantation in a whispered voice. Noticing her actions the hollow showed his teeth in a small smile.

"Bakudo No. 61 Rikujokourou!" she watched the rods of yellow light entrapped her target.

Silence.

_Was it strong enough?_ It had been one of the first times she had used such a high level binding technique without previously using a lower one on the same target to hold it during the incantation.

One step forward… the hollow was not moving.

Another step, then another and another. Slowly, the distance between them got smaller and she was not standing right in front of him. Pausing for a second, caught in his eyes, she then tried to reach for her zanpakuto. A chuckle reached her ears as she felt her wrist clenched in his hand.

"I don't think they invented the spell that can hold me, yet," he chuckled again "And I don't think they will get the chance …"

*********

"Why are you running, little rabbit?" She heard the voice of her pursuer echoing from the forest. "You know you can't outrun me. Where do you think you're going?"

He was right. Rukia was nowhere near fast enough to outrun such an opponent but she couldn't just stand there and let him have his way. She wasn't even sure if that hollow was really her brother like he said, but what she saw back in the clearing could not be denied.

(FLASHBACK)

_She could only stare as the six yellow rods shattered around her enemy without him even moving. He squeezed her wrist to make her look back at him again and then, grabbing her head, he pulled her into another kiss. Several seconds passed in which Rukia's mind was just blank. Lost into his endless eyes her arms seemed to move around without her commanding them, grabbing his clothes and pulling him closer, embracing him. She knew that their act was sinful, but her body seemed like it wasn't under her control anymore. All she could do was stare into the black holes in front of her, hypnotized, while he slowly started to undress her. Her hands would not let go of his clothes, her feet would not turn her around and start running._

'_What the hell are you doing Rukia? Break it off! Break it off! Break it off, damn it!'_

_He slid one hand under her clothes and was now holding it against the soft skin of her back._

'_Move, Rukia! Push him away and move! I command you to move!' _

_Against all her will, she felt her right hand letting go of his clothes and climbing up to caress his cheek but when it got there it touched a hard, cold mask. The icy feeling ran from the tip of her fingers through her whole body and it gave her enough of a shock to close her eyes. Released from his paralyzing gaze she could feel her body under her control again and so, in a desperate attempt she pushed him away with all her force._

_Rukia's sudden action caught the hollow by surprise as he had to make a few steps back in order to maintain his balance. He then placed his fingers on his now forming mask._

"_Pfff I wasn't expecting the transformation to occur so rapidly." He looked at Rukia now, who had a shocked look on her face after seeing the mask that confirmed that he hollow was indeed Byakuya."I still have need for this body…" he slid his fingers under the mask "…and this face!" he screamed as he ripped it off._

_Rukia had seen this process before, with Ichigo when his hollow would take control of his body, but usually when Ichigo would break off the mask, his personality would revert to normal. So why wasn't this the case? And how did her brother end up with an inner hollow to begin with?_

"_Damn, that hurt!" she heard his voice, clearly irritated "It had to be done, nonetheless. I hardly think you would enjoy kissing me in that form__**." **__Tiny__bits of his mask remained on the right side of his face, some following his jaw line and others levitating around the outer corner of his eye. _

_The mask started to form again, small fragments appearing from thin air and arranging themselves like pieces of a puzzle._

"_Hmmm… it seems that the process can't be avoided after all. All I can do is focus into slowing it down." His eyes didn't move from where Rukia was standing. "See the kind of things I do for you?" he smirked._

_She knew she didn't have enough time for another binding incantation, nor would it do her any good, so the only thing she could think of was to try and run as fast as possible and get close to Sereitei__**.**_

(END OF FLASHBACK)

She was now trying to flashstep as fast as possible and get close enough to her destination.

"Did that little mask incident scare you, my dear?" came his voice again. "Don't let such a detail bother you. It won't be a problem from now on."

Another flashstep completed, one less needed to get her there.

"What are you trying to do, little rabbit? Hop your way back to Sereitei? Warn off the other shinigami? You know I won't let you get that far, don't you?" a laugh echoed after his last words.

Yes, she knew she wouldn't even be in eyesight of anybody strong enough to help her, but that was never her plan to begin with.

*********

Rukia had exited the forest and could now see some of the tallest buildings of Soul Society.

_Just a few more steps… I won't get a second chance with this._

Before she could finish her flashstep, Byakuya appeared at her landing location. She stopped inches from him, barely dodging the hand that slowly tried to grip her, then launching herself in another flashstep.

_Almost there!_

"All this running around is starting to bore me, Rukia. Give it up already," he said, appearing once again at her landing point, making a sluggish move to grab her.

_Just three more!_

_Two more!_

_One more!_

But she never got to execute her final step. This time, Byakuya's hand moved like lightning, grabbing her arm, and stopping her so suddenly that it felt like her shoulder got dislocated. She turned her head to face him. He had a serious look on his face, and appeared to be very irritated.

"I thought I told you that this whole running around act is starting to bore me. I am not such a pleasant person when I get bored, you know." He frowned, murderous intent clearly visible in his eyes.

This was it, she thought. He would definitely not allow her such freedom again, and yet she was still too far for her plan to work.

_Damn it all! It's now or never!_ She knew she had to try before he decided to take her far away again.

She closed her eyes, focusing, her body trembling, and then, suddenly, before the hollow could question her, she released a ripple of spirit energy that rapidly traveled in all directions from where they were standing. She almost fell to her knees, exhausted from the act she just pulled. The hollow didn't seem to be bothered by it; not even a bit.

All she could do now was hope…

* * *

That is all for now. I hope you enjoyed it. The second chapter is ready, but it needs some final touches here and there before I post it.

As always, reviews are most welcome.


	2. Chapter 2

Finally uploaded the second chapter. This alternate ending seems to be getting longer than the initial Beast Within. I have the plot set already but I have been... kept occupied... and therefore could not write.

Enough of that, though.

Enjoy...

* * *

Rukia saw Byakuya lay down on the grass, crossing his arms under his head.

"W-What are you doing?"

"Isn't it obvious? You released a wave of reiatsu, hoping that somebody inSereitei will feel it and come help you, right?" He closed his eyes. "So, now I am waiting for your supposed rescuers, if any will show up to begin with."

This was all wrong. Rukia never anticipated such a move. She was counting on him to take her far from that place and when reinforcements would arrive, they would sense the remains of hollow reiatsu and go warn the squad Captains. She thought only of herself when she concluded her plan, never taking into consideration such a move and what would happen if the hollow would actually catch her rescuers.

"Sit." came a short yet imposing command.

"N-No!" Rukia looked at him with anger in his eyes. Why did he have to counter and ruin her every chance to escape? And if he was indeed a hollow, why was she still alive? Why did he keep playing these games with her, and most of all, why in the world did he kiss her?

"Sit. I will not tell you a third time."

"I refuse!" she decided to gamble. If he wanted her dead, he could have killed her back at the manor.

The hollow opened his eyes, looking at her and slightly raising a brow.

"Just remember that I tried to be polite," he barely finished his sentence and his reiatsu spiked. Rukia managed to hold her ground against the pressure for a second, and then collapsed, falling on her knees and elbows.

The hollow closed his eyes again, his lips coiling into a subtle smile of satisfaction.

_Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why is this happening to me?_

"Because he loved you," the hollow kept his eyes closed while talking in a low but serious voice. "Don't look at me like that. You were wondering the reason behind all my actions are, yes? I just answered you. It is because Kuchiki Byakuya, Head of the Kuchiki noble family and captain of the 6th Squad loved you." The truth hit Rukia like a train.

"What?" her violet eyes wide as they could be.

"It would not be possible for _me_ to love you if _he_ didn't. That alone can stand as a testament to what I previously said." still calm, his eyes still closed, as if maintaining a monologue.

The very idea of a hollow being capable of any feelings, let alone _love_, was not taken for granted by Rukia. She had slain hundreds of hollows and none of them even showed the slightest hesitation when they tried to tear her apart, crazed by their eternal hunger. No. A hollow was _not_ capable of such feelings. Her brother was something else entirely… she knew that he loved her sister more than life itself. In fact, it was the reason why he became so cold and severe after Hisana died.

"All those times he came to your rescue, he didn't come to save his sister… he didn't come to save the image of his late wife… he didn't come because of any promise he made. He simply came because he _loved_ you. That's all there is to it."

"But…"

"So here is the grand question: Did _you…love…him_?"

For once, she wasn't surprised with the question. From the moment she heard what the hollow had to say, she was expecting this.

_When does one truly know when she loves another? _ Her head tilted downwards and her eyes were now watching the patch of grass in front of her. _Is it when her heart beats faster every time he comes near? Is it when she tries to impress him with her prowess and feels empty when he doesn't even look at her in spite of so much effort? Perhaps when thoughts of him keep her awake at night, hoping to catch another glimpse of him when they have breakfast the next morning. When she admires his impeccable posture, his manners and his self control? Maybe then…_

"Kuchiki Rukia…"

She looked up with an aloof expression on her face.

"Did you love him?"

_Yes!_

"No."

Byakuya pulled out Sode no Shirayuki from under his captain haori and threw it towards Rukia.

"Then I have no further use for you." Rukia recognized disappointment in his voice "But because we love you, I will give you the chance to die honorably."

Rukia grabbed her zanpakuto by the sheath with both hands, holding it to her chest.

"Draw your blade, shinigami. I have wasted enough time with you." he said with disgust, while slowly moving towards her.

The strength to stand up and release Sode no Shirayuki never came. With her eyes narrowed, she stared blankly at her approaching death. Now right in front of her, he looked down like a master looks down at a wretched dog.

"I see you have no will to fight." His hand moved towards Senbonzakura and pulled her out, holding it above Rukia's head. "Then die like a coward!"

*********

Senbonzakura slashed downwards, but met steel instead of flesh.

"Kuchiki Taicho, what are you trying to do!?" a certain redhead fell to his knee, using his whole body force to stop Byakuya's blade.

"Renji!" a hint of hope flickered in Rukia's eyes as she saw her childhood friend, but her short feeling of safety faded when she heard Byakuya's voice.

"Looks like your little trick worked afterall, Rukia. Tough I can't say that it worked to your or _his_ advantage" he pointed at Renji who was still confused about what he just saw.

"Taicho, I sensed Rukia's reiatsu and came as fast as I could but I see you got here before me… as expected from 6th squad's Captain!"

The hollow felt another shinigami's reiatsu getting closer at a fast pace. Ukitake Jushiro arrived at the scene and started walking towards the three.

A small smile formed on Rukia's lips when she saw her captain coming. Renji was nowhere near on the same level as the hollow, but Ukitake could surely repel such a threat.

"Byakuya, I expected to find you here" he smiled "Kuchiki-san, are you ok? I was afraid something had happened when I felt your reiatsu and a hollow's close to your location." He helped Rukia get back on her feet.

"Ukitake Taicho…" she was trembling.

"Step away from her." Came the noble's harsh voice.

"What? Byakuya, is something wrong?"

"It seems that your bait brought in a big one, Rukia." He turned so that the bits of his mask were now visible "I had hoped for this, but never thought I could face such an opponent so soon." He pointed his zanpakuto at the girl "Kuchiki Rukia is _mine_. Step away from her."

"Taicho?! What the hell happened!?" came Renji's reaction when seeing the dark eyes and the leftovers of the mask.

Ukitake, on the other hand, did a fairly good job of containing his shock.

"So the hollow I sensed was not defeated. I sensed it was powerful, but never thought it could take control of a captain's body."

"Ukitake Taicho, that is not the case. That creature did not take control of Nii-sama's body…he _is_ Nii-sama!"

"What??Are you sure, Kuchiki-san?"

"Do you need to hear it from _me_ to believe your eyes, Ukitake Jushiro?" came the answer to the captain's question.

"So it is true…" he turned towards Renji with a resigned look, placing one hand on his shoulder. "Abarai, take Kuchiki-san from here and have a shinigami from the 4th squad look her over" he then turned to face Byakuya "I will keep him here."

"Understood!"

"Ukitake Taicho… please…" her pleading eyes finished her sentence for her.

"I know Kuchiki-san… I will try."

"I will not let you escape!" The hollow flashstepped behind Renji, swinging his sword, but clashing with Ukitake's zanpakuto.

"You are fast, old man. But speed alone will not save you…or them" he raised Senbonzakura, ready to slash again but Ukitake jumped back.

"Abarai, move!"

"I don't think so! Bakudo No. 61 Rikujokourou " the hollow grinned "The good part about inheriting Byakuya's mind was the fact that I can use whatever he could… and more!" Six beams of light appeared around Renji and Rukia, binding them in place.

The captain wasn't expecting a hollow to be able to use kidou.

"Damn you, Byakuya! Come to your senses! Fight him back!"

"Save your breath, shinigami. You will need it to scream when I tear you apart!" the hollow flashstepped once more close to Renji but his blow was again intercepted by cold steel.

"I am your opponent, Byakuya." Ukitake watched his enemy draw a few steps back.

"Do you wish for death so much that you would actually step in to challenge it?" he paused "So be it, old man... Slaughter him, Senbonzakura!"

The blade exploded in a swirl of black petals, heading towards the captain in a grim dance. Ukitake dodged them skillfully every time but he knew that he couldn't stay on the defensive forever. Byakuya's weapon grew in speed with each of his dodges. It was only a matter of time before he would land a hit, but attacking him was not something the good hearted captain felt easy to do.

He had known Byakuya since he was but a small child, even training him in the use of kidou at the request of his grandfather. As if his conscience wasn't enough to override, Rukia was in sight range of their battle. He knew what the man in front of him meant to her, even if she would never admit it openly. It never took a long time for Jushiro Ukitake to spot grief in one of his subordinate's eyes and question her about it, and even from their short talks, he could tell what feelings usually kept the petite shinigami from smiling.

"I am getting tired of you running around, old man. When you challenged me, I thought you actually had what it takes to back it up. But I can see that I was mistak-"

"Bakudou No. 63 Sajo Sabaku!" chains wrapped around the hollow before he could finish his sentence. The kidou was not much different than what Rukia attempted but having a captain class shinigami cast it made it powerful enough to hold Byakuya.

Black eyes stared Ukitake down, and then moved to where Rukia was trapped.

"What do you want from her, Byakuya?"

"Just her life…" came a cold reply.

"It doesn't have to be like this. I know what you feel but this is not the answer! Take back control!"

"You think he _gave_ me control? You think he _chose_ this? The goody goody Lord Kuchiki would never allow me to surface, not even if his life depended on it… So that is why _I_ _took_ what I wanted, just like I am going to do now!"

He calmed down and straightened up looking at Ukitake with a disgusted face, speaking with a low, calm voice.

"You… You shinigami make me sick. And from the lot of you… _he_ is the one that I hate the most. Always following his laws and his pitiful code of honor, even if he has to give up all that is dear to him." He turned his head in Rukia's direction. "Always acting righteously, incorruptible, ready to fight for people who would never appreciate the sacrifice…"

"Byakuya…"

"And what did he get in return?" suddenly pushing against the chains that bounded him "NOTHING!" he screamed while breaking the spell.

Ukitake took his stance again as the black petals which lay on the ground up to now started coming back to life.

"You will _all_ pay for my suffering. As for you… I will finish you off in one strike!" he raised his palm in front of his face; fingers curved like claws and teeth clenched "Earth and fire purify the land…"

Ukitake's eyes widened.

"…skies fall down, one star dies. The great Maker comes to undo all creation." Byakuya lifted his palm towards the sky, a thin, barely visible white ray of light launching upwards, piercing the clouds "Moon and Sun become one, sinful claws scratch away at Heaven's gates…"

"Byakuya!!" the 13th division captain started releasing his shikai.

"… the dragon falls into oblivion. Death smiles on the unjust. Hado No. 99 … KANSHIKI!"

The sky went dark as a destructive beam of pure light, measuring tens of meters in diameter was coming down on Ukitake's position. Byakuya flashstepped, trying to get away from the impact zone, knowing full well that being hit by the blast wave alone could possibly kill him.

Ukitake's zanpakuto split in two, its twin caught by the skillful hand of the shinigami.

"…Sogyo no Kotowari…" If he ran, he could escape the spell, but then Rukia and Renji would surely die. But if he stayed but couldn't absorb the whole technique, then all three of them would die. No. Running was not an option, not when his subordinates' lives depended on it. He would rather die than betray their trust in him.

He pointed one blade at the sky, doing his best to maintain his position as one sword started absorbing the immense amount of energy. He wasted no time and pointed the other one towards the hollow.

"What!?"

"I'm sorry...Byakuya"

The beam traveled horizontally, faster than before, leaving behind a gigantic fissure in the earth, directly hitting Byakuya before he had the chance to react. The shockwave released by the impact created a huge cloud of dust.

The captain sealed his zanpakuto again and was now countering the binding spell that kept Renji and Rukia in place.

"Taicho…" tears started to form in Rukia's eyes.

"It was – the only way" he didn't have the courage to look at her "I'm sorry"

The cloud of dust eventually cleared, revealing Byakuya's body, covered in wounds, lying in a pool of blood.

"U..ki..ta..ke" came a whisper as he tried to stand up on his knees and elbows.

The captain froze at the sound of the familiar voice, only after a few seconds turning to face him.

_How is it possible for him to be alive?_ He thought while approaching Byakuya with steady steps.

"Uki..take" came his name again, whispered by his enemy, but this time, Byakuya looked towards him, revealing a pair of grey eyes.

"Nii-sama!" Rukia rushed towards him, but was stopped by Renji. "Let go, Renji! Can't you see the hollow is gone? He needs help!"

Ukitake reached him and looked in his eyes one more time to make sure this was the real Byakuya. It was the first time he ever saw Byakuya in such a state, and never in all his life did he ever think that he would be the one to do this to him.

"Abarai" he turned towards the two, wanting to signal that the danger was gone. "The 4th division must learn what happened here so that they send members to heal Captain Kuchiki. Word must be send out imedia- " the word stuck in his mouth. All he felt was a sting, as Senbonzakura pierced his body.

"Ukitake Taicho!" Rukia managed to escape Renji grasp and ran towards her Captain.

"Your good nature has always been your weakness… old man." The hollow rose to his feet, behind him, thrusting the sword so that it exited through his rival's stomach. His own wounds started to close up rapidly. "Did you really think I would fall to my own spell? I saw what your zanpakuto was capable of through Byakuya's eyes countless times. I invested almost no reiatsu in the kidou, enough only to give it the size it needed to fool your eyes. Its power however…was nowhere near the normal levels of such a high level spell. It was all a trap and you fell right into it. All I had to do after that was to make you believe that I was the real Byakuya, knowing that you would get close enough for me to strike…"

He twisted the blade and couldn't help but grin as more blood rushed down Senbonzakura's hilt, flowing between his fingers.

"Are you still with me, _Captain_? Do you feel it now? Do you understand now that goodness has no place in this world? Do you see why people like you are weak?"

But the shinigami's response never came. His body was going numb. Byakuya probably cut through his spinal column. After so many years, he would die at the hands of a hollow. It was only fitting, he thought, since he killed so many during his lifetime.

The hollow pulled out the sword, letting the lifeless body fall to the ground. He then turned his head to Rukia who was now frozen in place, unable to believe the scene in front of her. Renji noticed that and ran towards Rukia, but Byakuya appeared behind, grabbing him by the head.

"Where do you think you're going, little rat?" he lifted Renji in the air and rammed him, face-forward, into the ground.

"Renji!"

Byakuya lifted him again, and slammed him down, then again and again, with more force every time, until the redhead's face was covered in blood and his body was unable to move.

"This is just a waste of my time. You are no challenge at all." He got down to one knee and pointed his forefinger at the back of Renji's neck. "Say goodbye, rat. Hado No.4 …"

"Please… No! Renji!"

"Ru…kia…RUUUUN!!"

"… Byakurai"

* * *

That is all for now. I cannot make any promises on when the next chapter will be posted. I can say however that I am trying to work on another idea of mine that ByaRuki fans might enjoy. I cannot say anything more about that either.

Please take some time and review. It means a lot.


	3. Chapter 3

**I know I have not updated for a very long time, and I apologize to the few people who took an interest in my stories. This is my shortest chapter so far, if it may even be considered a proper chapter. I see it more as a, dare I say, tease.**

* * *

She had been running for days now.

He would not allow her to rest, always being just one step behind in pursuit**. **Yet, he never chose to end the chase and for that she kept running. The spirit gate that allowed passage to the real world closed behind her several hours ago but there was still no sign of his reiatsu anywhere.

_Didn't he sense me leaving? He must have been behind me when I opened the gate, and still…_

The stillness was eating her up. After days of their cat and mouse game, everything went silent and this was more frightening than knowing he was always right behind.

Her body was demanding rest – a feeling that was getting less and less ignorable, especially now that the chase had come to a halt. Her first thought at that point was to ask Ichigo for aid. He would surely help her, as he always had, but the crushing images of Ukitake and Renji's bodies flashing over and over in her head stopped her from carrying out such a plan. No… she would not allow anyone else to suffer in her place. He wanted _her_ and it was exactly because of that fact that she fled to the real world, trying to lead him away from the place where such tragedies might happen again.

*********

Yet another hour had passed and there was no sign of Byakuya. It was getting dark, as the sun was finishing his descent behind the horizon. From inside an abandoned house, Rukia was trying to keep her senses sharp, but her weariness was starting to take too much of a toll on her body. Perhaps she could rest there, just for a little bit**… **The grip on her zanpakuto loosened as the idea seemed more and more inviting.

_Just for one minute…_ Her body dropped on the bed, her eyes slowly closing. _I will just rest for…one…minute…_

*********

The minute did not pass, however, as the door was slammed against the wall, making Rukia jump on her feet and grab Sode no Shirayuki, pulling the zanpakuto out of its sheath. The room was dark and her sleepy, dazed eyes could not see beyond the door that had just been opened. In a split second, a shadow made its way inside, moving towards her, tightly grabbing her neck with one hand, and lifting her in the air.

"Found you…" the hollow's grin widened.

She tried to swing her katana but the hit did not connect, as he grabbed her wrist, squeezing it.

"All your attempts are futile...or haven't you learned that yet?" The pressure he was applying on the wrist forced her to drop her weapon and stop struggling in order to avoid further pain.

Satisfied with her surrender, he threw her on the bed again and turned around, putting some space between them. She jumped back on her feet, trying to make her way out of the room, but he moved to block her path.

_The window…_

"Don't." his harsh command suddenly ruined her plans. "If you have been able to stay out of my reach for as long as you have, it is simply because I allowed you to. Make no mistake about it… It would be foolish of you to think otherwise." He turned his head to look over his shoulder "But the chase has ended. I have come for my prize."

He flash stepped behind her, holding her in a tight embrace, bending down to be at the same level. His lips brushed against her neck, making her shiver as they moved up, finally stopping close to her ear.

"Rukia… remove your clothes…"

* * *

**I am guessing you all know what is to come...**


	4. Chapter 4

**I am fully aware that I have not updated this story in a very long time (several months in fact). To those who are still willing to read this chapter, I must ask of them to re-read the 3rd chapter again, as it contains key clues for this one and were originally supposed to be the same one. This is my longest chapter so far, ****I am under the impression that it is** also my lowest one in terms of quality.

**That being said... enjoy.**

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His hands traveled shamelessly across her body…

_How?_

His lips kissing the soft skin of her neck…

_How did this happen?_

The hollow's words rushed to her mind.

(FLASHBACK)

"Because he loved you…"

"It is because Kuchiki Byakuya loved you. "

"All those times he came to save you… He simply came because he loved you. That's all there is to it"

(END OF FLASHBACK)

He slightly pulled off her shinigami robe, exposing one of her shoulders…

_He loved you… He loved you… _

His words flashed in her head again: "So here is the grand question: Did you… love… him?"

"I…"

The hollow paused, moving to face her, almost curious at the phrase she did not finish. She mustered the courage to look into his eyes.

In truth, she had forgotten how long ago she stopped seeing him as a brother. Perhaps she had tried all those years ago, when he adopted her into the Kuchiki family, yet despite her attempts over the years, she failed miserably.

The hand he moved at the base of her neck made it impossible for her to lower her head and break the eye contact. He frowned at her, losing his patience.

"Speak." He ordered.

Was this why she did not see this act as something wrong? Because she saw him as something more? The head of the Kuchiki family, the lord of the house she lived in -her lord. There were even times when her mind would come up with even more inappropriate thoughts. Thoughts in which she wished her Kuchiki name had not been gained through adoption, but… other means.

"I…"

She always admired his elegance, his impeccable behavior charming her, his word… always her command. And yet, how could she tell him of her feelings? He was the one who gave her a roof to live under, the one who saved her life on so many occasions and this is how she would repay him? Harboring such inappropriate feelings for the one who saw her as a sister? Rukia had spent many nights awake, tortured by such shameful thoughts. The hollow's words, however kept rewinding in her head now, and all she could think of was how much…

"I love you…"

The hollow's eyes widened, stunned by her confession. She felt his hand suddenly tighten even more around her neck as it started to tremble. The pain made her close her eyes for a brief moment, but when she opened them again, she saw pain in the hollow's expression as well, as if it was struggling with something.

"Y-You little…."

He released her from the hold, as he made several steps back, thrown off balance by the event. The same hand that was at Rukia's neck was now covering the right side of his face. He looked at her, with murderous intent in his eyes.

"You will … not… undo… all that I have…" He could not finish his sentence. His control was fading. "She is… lying to us! Can't you… see?" The air felt heavy as his spiritual pressure invaded the room. He struggled to move towards her but landed on one knee.

Rukia remained stunned by the hollow's reaction to her words. Was his real self getting a grip over the hollow? His screams terrified her as she watched his struggle.

"I cannot be defea- …" The reiatsu flow stopped immediately.

Silence… agonizing silence. Tears started to flood Rukia's eyes, blurring her vision. She did not see him move and all she could hear was her own rapid breathing. Doubts started invading her mind as she slowly placed one step in front of the other, getting closer.

"N-Nii-sama…?" She cursed herself. Her words felt wrong after what she admitted previously.

"Rukia…" He made an effort to rise up to his usual straight position, straining himself to maintain it.

"Nii-sama!" After seeing his usual slate eyes, and being convinced it was really him, she felt compelled to call him that. After all… maybe he did not hear what she said. Maybe it was all just a coincidence. "Allow me to help you."

"There is no need. I am fi-" He tried to complete the step towards her but his weakened body could not comply, landing him straight in her arms as she rushed to aid him.

...

The moment surprised them both, yet neither spoke a word. She felt him still in her arms, almost relaxed, breathing slowly. It was a small thing, to catch him… such a small thing, yet for some reason, in that moment, she was filled with a sense of accomplishment and pride. He had saved her life so many times, but now… now she managed to reach him in time, she was there for him when he needed someone to catch him. _Him_… the man she loved. She had been close to him before but never like this. His scent, his weight, the sound of his breathing, all of these took over her senses as she could not pay attention to anything else.

His attempt to stand up pulled her back to reality.

"Rukia…" he could not get back on his feet, but managed to stand up on his own and was now facing her "What you spoke… "

Rukia's eyes widened.

"Nii-sama, I…"

"I am aware that it was simply a lie," he interrupted her "but it was enough to throw the hollow into confusion, enough for me to take advantage." He tried again to stand up on his feet, releasing himself from her arms.

_It wasn't a lie! No! It wasn't a lie!_ _Please… I just…_

It felt as if she was going crazy. She finally managed to tell him what tormented her over so many long years, and now he was slipping away from her arms, thinking it was all just a lie. Her own voice screamed inside her head, yet she could not bring herself to utter any of the words. Her hands were involuntarily gripping his clothes, tighter and tighter, as if her body was acting on its own, desperately attempting to keep the one she loved close to her.

"Rukia." He frowned at her blank look. But he did not get to speak another word, for the very next moment, her lips were on his and her arms were holding him even tighter than before.

So what? What if she was crazy? It did not matter anymore… it did not matter how the world would see such an act, or even if he would kill her afterwards for such an inappropriate behavior. Nothing mattered now, apart from the fact that _she loved him_. His response was swift, yet not as she expected it, as one of his hands moved against her back, pulling her closer.

...

The moment seemed surreal to her. His hands moved across her fragile frame, as their lips touched softly, making her shiver, giving her goose bumps where he touched. He moved to her neck, holding her exposed shoulder with his hand. The clothes come off as if they never belonged on them, not when they were alone. There is no need for words, as he displays a symphony of kisses, touches and occasionally the soft bite that would bring her back to her senses before she drifts away completely into ecstasy. Between hushed moans, she asks him to stop teasing her, pretending that she did not enjoy it, but by that time, his hand had reached the soft spot in between her legs, finding her wet. Surprised, she tries to shy away from him, embarrassed that her body betrayed her desire to be his so easily. His lips go again from hers, down to her neck, then slide to her breasts and are soon kissing her womb. As he comes back up, he positions himself against her. It is the moment when she stops pretending that she has doubts, the moment when she realizes that the time for passionate and silly games has come to an end, and so she stands still, in anticipation, the fire inside her growing… and soon it comes. She is tight, but not unwilling, her pulsing walls welcoming and comforting him as he slides inside. She feels a slight pain in the beginning, but a wave of pleasure washes over her as he reaches her limit and stops there, piercing the darkness of the room with his eyes, to meet hers. But they have already decided that words have no usefulness now, and so, he slowly pulls almost all the way out, right before sliding back inside her. His waist slowly starts to grind against hers, as she begins to moan in match with his movements, and her moans drive him crazy with desire, wanting her more and more, faster and deeper, making her moan even louder.

"Bya-ku-ya…" His name is cut off by slight moans and gasps, but he thinks it never sounded better than on her lips.

She arches her neck backwards, inviting him to kiss and bite her soft skin, tensing her body under his, sinking her nails in his back, in an effort to pull him ever closer, as she reaches her peak. He holds her down in that moment, pressuring her small frame with his body weight, rendering her unable to move and it is all a sweet torture for her. He slows down, offering her a break to recover her senses, watching her smile under him, while drawing in heavy breaths.

Before long, however his hands firmly grab her waist and turn her to face the sheets. She feels helpless in his arms, but secretively enjoys the way he puts her in her place, the way he molds her to match his own desire. Again, he leans his weight on her, imposing his reign. As before, he starts slowly, but goes deeper and deeper with every time, as she starts to moan again. His hands take hold of her wrists, squeezing them and pressing them into the bed, holding her still while he has his way with her, while he thrusts inside her with the strength of his whole body, punishing her… not because she deserves it, but because she loves it. She alone knew how many times she imagined and wished to receive such a punishment from him, and how every time she thought about it, she would mask it as her duty to do his bidding, since he was the lord of the house she lived in, and therefore had to obey his every command.

_Rukia-a-a_ She hears a voice echo in her head…

He would occasionally leave a trail of kisses from her naked shoulder, leading to her neck and then moving to silence her moans with a long kiss, and just when she would start to think that he was going to slow down or stop, he would suddenly thrust even harder making her break the kiss with another loud moan. The noises she makes become louder and louder as she desperately tries to grab something with the hand that he gave her liberty to use, but all she can find are the sheets, so she holds on to them as she reaches her climax. At the same time, his muscles contract all at once, stopping him deep inside her as he releases his seed. The strain on his body takes its toll as he collapses on top of her, exhausted from the intensity of their act.

_Rukia…_ The voice becomes louder.

She feels the warm sensation of his seed inside of her and for the first time, she thinks of the future. And while lying there, in his arms, she feels as if her body has a purpose now.

_Rukia_… Again, her name is called out, but this time she can make out who it belongs to. It is Byakuya's voice… No… Wait…

_Rukia…_

Horror took over her features as the bed, the room and the one she loves fade away and she begins to fall into a dark, endless abyss. She opened her eyes, to meet the cold, black stare of the hollow.

"It is about time, little rabbit…" He paused "That must have been some pretty wild dream you were having, with all that…" he allowed her more time to become aware of her surroundings "…tossing and turning."

Rukia's eyes widened as the large grin on the hollow's face became visible in the morning rays that barely passed the curtains of the room she had fallen asleep in.

******"""""""""****"""""""""****"""""""""****"""""""""**  


**That is all for now. To clarify, yes, it was all a dream that she had. In chapter 3, there is a moment when she rests on a bed, and everything that happens from then untill this point was all in her dream. If you got the impression that this chapter was rushed, different scenes not blending into one another, it was because, as we all know.. dreams can be chaotic and can jump from one sequance to another and can also be abstract. I wished to give it that feeling, yet not give away the fact that it was her dream, untill very the end of the chapter.**

**I personally think that I have lost my writting skills. Wynn disagrees. **

**I expect honesty in your opinions.**


	5. Chapter 5

I appreciate the patience with which people who are still interested in my story waited for an update...especially **RunSakura **to whom I promised myself that I would dedicate this chapter for the simple fact that she took the time to ask for an update through a review, in a period during which I thought nobody was interested anymore in my writtings.

As you shall see, it is not a long chapter, and from now on I plan to release smaller chapters and with little time between them, rather then big chapters with long periods between updates.

Enjoy.

* * *

"I love you…" she admitted to him, and right then she saw him freeze in place.

"What..did you say?" Rukia identified shock on his face. Perhaps following her dream was the right decision. Perhaps it was not a dream but a sign of what she had to do to stop all this.

Based on the knowledge of her dream, she prepared for the wave of reiatsu that he would release in his transition, and so it came, putting pressure on her fragile frame. She instinctually closed her eyes, tensing her body to the limit, trying to withstand a spiritual pressure that seemed even harder to bear than in her dream. As soon as it stopped, as predicted, she had the courage to open her eyes, with a slight smile on her features, ready to meet his.

"I asked you a question."

Rukia's smile immediately faded and was replaced with horror when, instead of her brother's eyes, she encountered what seemed to resemble bottomless black pits. His hands moved to grip her shoulders.

"I love you!" she screamed in desperation. The hollow's hands froze, but when she looked at his features again, this time she saw anger, instead of shock.

"How dare you speak such words?" with his eyes now aimed towards the floor, his voice was but a whisper. "How dare you?" he raised his head, screaming at her, his hand grabbing her throat.

Before she could even think of an answer or a physical response, he threw her body with such force that it destroyed the wall of the house, leaving Rukia barely able to move, lying on the street. He flash-stepped in front of her, drawing his sword slowly. The anger in his featured was replaced by what Rukia could identify as disgust.

"You serve worse than death… but I am feeling merciful at this moment." He spoke softly, with a plain tone, devoid of any emotion.

Senbonzakura slashed the air…

…

"I don't think so."

The hollow felt the cold blade of a zanpakuto against the skin of his neck, his own weapon stopping mere millimeters before carving into the body of the female shinigami before him.

"I have been waiting for you… Kurosaki Ichigo. Although I am fairly surprised you could find us. I made no effort in trying to show my presence."

"Maybe… But whether you wanted to be found or not, your reiatsu was leaking all over the place. Kind of hard to not notice it, even with my sensing skills."

"You do not seem surprised to see me like this…" Byakuya turned his head slightly to glance over his shoulder at the substitute shinigami.

"I was told of what happened in Soul Society." Ichigo paused "I have not seen Yoruichi-san so concerned since Aizen."

"Ah, yes… Shihoin Yoruichi." He seemed to speak to himself.

"She and Urahara-san told me not to do anything about this but…" he looked at Rukia and then at the dark bladed zanpakuto that still loomed over her "… I am glad I didn't listen to their advice."

"I do not understand. Why would you be glad when you have come-" Byakuya disappeared from before Ichigo, appearing behind him, Senbonzakura's tip pointed at his back "- to die?"

There was enough time to turn around on the spot and deflect his opponent's sword. He already knew of Byakuya's flash-step skills. He had faced them before, but this had been too close, even with his bankai released. He looked at the girl between them, taking a few seconds to find his moment, then he grabbed her and flash-stepped both of them away. To his surprise, Byakuya did not even try to stop him.

"I-chi-go…"

"You know… if you keep upsetting him like that, me having to save you will become a habit." He faked a smile "It's alright. I'll deal with this. Saved you before, haven't I?" But she could see the concern he was trying to hide.

"Ichigo… please…" but she was too late in finishing her sentence, as the young shinigami had already flashed away.

…

Byakuya's hollow examined the situation. His opponent's stance denoted confidence and determination. It was funny to him, how things came to pass. He recalled the battle that had happened between him and Byakuya on Sokyouku Hill. So many things were similar now to how they were back then. This time, however, he would not forfeit the battle to such an inferior opponent. He raised his arm pointing his sword at Ichigo.

"Byakuya… let me ask you this. Abarai Renji… Ukitake-san… the shinigami that were part of the 6th squad… They trusted you, praised you as a captain!" his hold on Zangetsu tightened as his tone of voice started to rise "How could you turn on them like that? How could you turn on your comrades like that? How could you try to kill your own sister? Byakuya!"

"You clearly have no idea whatsoever about whom you are talking to, do you, boy? His love for his _sister_ made him weak. Weak enough to consider and actually forfeit the duel you two had. I, however, have locked him along with such feelings too deep inside us to pose a threat. You are simply delaying the inevitable. She will die…" he paused "..and so will you. Ban-kai."

Black blades rose menacingly from the ground, forming rows on both sides of Byakuya and Ichigo. One moment later, millions of dark petals came down on the shinigami's position, like crashing waves. Ichigo evaded in time, but then again, he knew this was far from the best that his opponent had to offer.

"Byakuya! It does not have to be like this." He spoke while trying to avoid the masses of blades that his enemy was continuously directing towards him. "There is another way. You can control him! I have gone through what you are going now! I understand you!" He fell down. The last wave managed to him. It was not enough to cause severe damage, but it had knocked him down, leaving him open to further, more deadly attacks.

The masses of blades came together into one, above Ichigo, right before surging down on his position. The speed and reflexes that his bankai bestowed upon him allowed this attack to be evaded as well by the shinigami.

_If this is the best he can do, I need only keep evading until he shows an opening. I can win this._

But Ichigo's trail of thoughts were interrupted, as he caught a glimpse at his opponent's face. During this time, Byakuya had watched him with a grin on his features. He was not taking him seriously. There was not a single moment in which the hollow was committed to the battle up to this point. The truth made Ichigo stop on the spot.

"So… you finally realized." The hollow spoke without any sign of emotion.

"Realized?"

The blades of Byakuya's bankai returned to lie on the ground, at the feet of their master.

"Realized what?"

"Surely you must have understood your position by now. You are too pathetic and weak for me to even kill you in your current state. I have no intention in fighting _you_. Now, I tried to delay this as much as possible, in order to give you a chance to draw on _his_ powers, but it seems I am simply wasting my time."

"W-what!"

"No matter." Byakuya continued "If it is necessary … " the blades at his feet started coming back to life "… then I shall force _him_ out of you!"

Directed by the hollow's hands, Senbonzakura encircled Ichigo with frightening speed.

"Gokey…Senbonzakura Kageioshi"

* * *

Thank you for reading\reviewing. Take care.


	6. Chapter 6

** I really wish I could draw Hollow Byakuya in his complete posession stage, instead of describing him, as I consider my description very lacking, but since I have little to no drawing talent, I shall allow each of your imaginations to fill the gap.**

******Without any further introduction, here is the 6th chapter of this story.**

**Enjoy.**

* * *

"You know, I just realized that you actually fought Ichigo to bring me out… I mean, what kind of an idiot would go seeking defeat like that?"

"Kurosaki Ichigo was not even worth killing. I simply wanted to see what his lapdog is capable of, before I finish the both of you off." Byakuya's face remained impassive.

Ichigo's hollow grinded his teeth at his enemy's remark.

"Lapdog, huh?" He disappeared from Byakuya's sight, appearing behind him, but his attack failed to hit its target. Slash after slash, Zangetsu missed as its target's speed seemed to outmatch that of his wielder.

"Your attempts are pathetic." He continued to mock his enemy. "I expected more out of-" but his phrase got interrupted as Ichigo flash-stepped once again behind him, but this time as attempted to dodge, the hollow grabbed his scarf, preventing escape, and pulling Byakuya towards him as he thrust the blade of his zanpakuto through the body of his enemy. Byakuya's body dropped on the ground in a pool of gushing blood.

"Hahahahaha! Where are your smart-mouthed comments now, fool?" A second after, however, his shoulder started bleeding heavily, as he felt the sting of Senbonzakura passing through his flesh.

"Shihou Black Ops Step Technique 3: Molting Cicada. I certainly hope your combat power is more developed than your awareness. To actually believe that such an attack can defeat me… how pitiful." The fake body of Byakuya started melting away, leaving behind only the scarf, as proof of the decoy.

Waves of reiatsu started flowing from Byakuya's irritated enemy as his shoulder began healing.

"I'm startin' to like this!" Ichigo's hollow launched himself at his opponent in a flurry of strikes; an exotic combination of slashes and thrusts, using the chain of his zanpakutou to extend the range of his attacks, his speed and strength continuously increasing. Before soon, Byakuya started to feel the pressure, as some of his enemy's attacks connected, pushing him back.

"Good, finally taking the fight seriously. However… now it is my turn. Scatter: Senbonzakura."

"Hah! Bring it!"

[…]

[FLASHBACK]

"Kuchiki-san… Are you aware of the existence of light and darkness within a soul?"

"What?" the question took her by surprise.

"You see…" his tone got lower, with the booming noises cause by some of Urahara's assistants his words becaming almost undecipherable "… humans are born neutral, with potential for both good and evil within them."

Rukia still did not understand where he was going with this.

"And the events we pass through in our existence… the decisions that we make, they have an impact on more than just our physical and mental state." He paused. "Imagine a scale inside each and every soul on which our light and dark side are measured against each other. The process might be continuous and taking place at the level of our subconscious, deep inside the core of our soul without us even realizing it, but it_ is_ influenced by our _conscious_ thoughts and actions. Souls are shaped and fueled by this process of weighting, you see. They are given power by both sides in most cases, or sometimes only by one or the other at a time.

"…"

"Most humans you know start out with these two parts evenly balanced, this leading them to accept both good and bad traits about themselves with relative ease for a period, after which, one side inevitably grows bigger. When their mortal existence has expired, and the soul leaves the body, the side which influenced it the most decides its fate and as such, if the evil side had the upper hand, the soul is transformed into a hollow and passes through the Hell Gates or comes to reside in Hueco Mundo. If the good inside a human prevailed during his life he is purified and given a chance to live his existence in Sereitei. The process of weighting one against the other still continues even in these stages, but at this point one side rules almost undisputed over the other. That is why the majority of the ones who you know from Sereitei have the scales tilted towards the good side, with the darkness suppressed."

He placed his hand on the hilt of Benihime.

"Our zanpakutos are the physical manifestation of our subconscious good side. Even if every zanpakuto has its own personality, they draw power from the light part of our souls. "

"But during our history, there were cases in which zanpakutos have taken innocent lives …"

"The fault in that case does not lie with the blade, but with its wielder. As a man with good intentions can be manipulated into doing something evil, so can a zanpakuto help its master towards fulfilling his desires, be they good or bad. The evil side of the master might be at a disadvantage in the beginning of our lives in Sereitei, but our actions, our point of view when understanding their effect on others… might help it rise to dominance. Strong negative feelings such as fear, envy, hate or sadness experienced over prolonged periods of time will also have a decisive effect on the soul. "

"So zanpakutos represent the good side while hollows represent the evil side of a soul. " She paused, trying to formulate a sentence good enough to not sound disrespectful. "But Urahara-san… what does all this have to do with Ichigo? From your words I was under the impression that this conversation would be related to him."

"Ne Ne… Kuchiki-san… I thought this would at least raise your curiosity." He opened his white paper fan to cover his mouth and looked the other way. "And I was so proud of my research… humph."

His mood for jesting disappeared when he saw that Rukia's concern did not fade from her expression. Letting out a long sigh, he continued with a serious tone.

"Now, as I have mentioned before… all of this happens without us ever realizing. Sometimes, however, certain individuals come into existence, whose sides naturally become so powerful that they cannot even coexist as enemies within the same shell. Individually they are too strong, independed and rooted in belief that one side cannot even impend on the other's territory.

He sighted, observing Rukia's confused look.

"Basicly try to imagine the soul of a normal person as a sheet of paper that is colored in grey. Every human has a different shade of grey, but _grey_ nonetheless. Now… imagine Ichigo's soul as the same sheet, but instead of it being grey all over, it has two halves that are very defined and almost never interact – one completely white and the other completely black. In 99% of the humans, both good and bad sides can accept compromise and with it, the influence of the other side… but with these kind of individuals, when one side controls the body, it completely despises any type of action that the other would do, because it contradicts their strict code of morals and they are unwilling to accept such a thing. We have both seen Ichigo go against the decision of sacrificing one life for the good of many, even if it would have been an easier solution… just as we received reports on the merciless slaughter that his hallow is capable of when it surfaces.

"This is the hollowification process?"

"It can be called as such for lack of a better term, but you must understand, Kuchiki-san, that while hollowification implies the process of tampering with one's soul to force the dark side out, like with Aizen's experiments, Ichigo's case is different because the separation of his two sides happened _naturally_. That is what makes him and the very few like him so special. Fortunately for us, Ichigo's white, good side is showing most of the times, although I suppose there is much truth in the old saying: _The higher you are, the lower you fall…_"

"Ichigo…this is the kind of struggle you have been enduring?" she spoke to herself.

Urahara took a long sip of tea from the cup in front of him, giving her time to digest the information.

"You may be wondering what is with all the explanations, but you needed to know this in order to understand the reason why I have called you here, Kuchiki-san. You see, as one of the closest persons to Kurosaki-kun, I feel that you should be aware of the _danger_ he poses to himself and the world around him."

Rukia's eyes widened. Ichigo had enough on his plate already after the fight with Aizen, and the tone Urahara Kisuke had adopted denoted that his hollow side was more of a problem than was originally considered.

"Surely you are aware that there are two stages to zanpakuto development that must be achieved to unlock its power. That much is true, but unlike what you were lead to believe, shikai and bankai are not the two stages that I am referring to. Bankai is the only true stage that you are aware of. "

"What?"

"Shikai, or the release of a zanpakuto is only a preliminary stage, or a sub-stage as I call it, that is necessary to give the zanpakuto a more comfortable form in order to facilitate its manifestation in the real world, which we know is necessary in order to achieve bankai. Shikai also serves to give us an idea about the powers of a zanpakuto."

"Then… what… is the second stage?"

"The second and final step in achieving the true power of a zanpakuto and with it a soul's light side… is the unification process. "

"U-nifi-cation process?"

"Our zanpakutos might be part of our souls but they are self aware and can think for themselves… and thus not completely part of us. However, there have been extremely rare cases, such as Ichigo's when people, through tremendous meditation and focus have managed to completely unify with their zanpakuto, releasing the full potential of their good side."

Rukia recalled the aftermath of Ichigo's battle with Aizen. The effects of such a high level confrontation still scarred the grounds near Sereitei. She could not help but fail to imagine the amount of power needed to modify the very surroundings to such a degree.

"But to do such a thing means the loss of shinigami powers…"

"That is correct in Ichigo's case, Kuchiki-san. It is so, because Ichigo skipped many important steps for the unification process which were meant to prepare him both physically and mentally. It is true that being one of the _naturals_ influenced the success of his unification…but the amount of strain it causes on the body is comparable to nothing else. Because of this, and the urgent nature of the circumstances which forced Ichigo to aquire such a power, his unification was temporary, and not only that… but in fact, also damaging to himself."

"Through my research, I have also been able to reach the conclusion that as our zanpakutos have two stages of evolution, the same happens with our hollows. The process is somewhat different, but leads to the same result when it comes to pure power."

"One can unify with his hollow? Ichigo could do that?"

"Ah… well, I did say _somewhat different_ when it comes to the _how_ it happens. When dealing with zanpakutos, one must convince them to bestow their full power or in some cases, even defeat them in battle… but when dealing with a hollow, the ones reaching such a level describe it as a feeling of surrender to the darker side within you. You are supposed to let _it_ take control, rather than attempting to control _it_ as is the case with the zanpakutos."

"That explains Ichigo's lack of control over his actions during the moments in which his hollow surfaces."

"Indeed, but we have witnessed moments in which his hollow seems to be sentient and even able to speak, although seeming to be a completely different entity other than Ichigo."

"Urahara-san, you mentioned two stages for the hollows as well…"

"The second stage is when the hollow itself gives up completely to its base instincts and evil nature. Losing any means of coherent communication, and modifying the host body, Ishida-kun described this second stage in Ichigo's hollowification as _a remorseless, mindless beast driven by rage and bent on destroying anything it sees, both friend and foe. _" Urahara paused for a moment "Ishida-kun witnessed the lack of any residual thoughts of the host during the second stage of evolution, when the hollow attacked him at the first sign of what he perceived as a threat."

Rukia took a moment to let the new information sink it.

"And what would happen if somebody gains the power of both zanpakutou unification and complete hollow possession?"

Urahara's usual smile faded from his features, giving room to a straight face, followed by a long sigh and an answer spoken mostly to himself.

"Well… I… suppose that is how gods are born…"

"But Ichigo lost his shinigami powers and his hollow, so why tell me this _now_?

"You should take into consideration that Ichigo is _still_ in the process of losing them, and while they shall fade completely in time, he must still be kept under close observation… but I admit, Kuchiki-san, that the reason for which I have told you all of this, now, is because, unknown to all exept Yoruichi and myself, there is another _narutal_ in Soul Society."

"Another? Who?"

"Well, Kuchiki-san, as long as he has not revealed this himself, it is not my place to speak of his identity, but I advise caution, as often enough, the people they care for happen to influence which side of their soul emerges victorious."

[END OF FLASHBACK]

"It was always you… Byakuya Nii-sama." Tears started to flow from Rukia's eyes as she watched from atop a building the fight between the two hollows "It was always you… and I could not see past your cold facade to know your suffering."

[…]

Rukia got back up on her feet, decided to intervene and attempt to stop her brother even at the cost of her life, but the moment she tried to flash-step, her shoulder was grabbed by Yoruichi.

"There is no point in this course of action."

"I…"

"I understand… but you'd only be throwing your life away."

"I have to at least try!"

"Don't you understand? You'll be dead before you even reach them! Look at you, girl… trembling and barely able to stand even at such a distance from the battle. Down there, their spiritual pressure will crush you to dust."

"It's ready." Urahara interrupted.

"We cannot do this alone, though." The woman turned from Rukia to face him.

"Word has already been sent. Hopefully they will reach us in time."

[…]

"Hmph... not bad. But not good enough either! HA!" Ichigo's hollow lunged at Byakuya.

"Bakudou 61: RikujouKourou."

"Your petty kidou will not work on me!" The six rods around Ichigo shattered just in time to avoid Byakuya's thrusting blade.

"Bakudou 30: Shitotsu Sansen." Three spikes of spiritual energy pinned Ichigo's hollow to the ground.

"You're dirty tricks are starting to piss me off… I told you that they won't work on m-"

"Bakudou 61: RikujouKorou."

"Wha-"

"Bakudou 63: Sajuu Shabaku."

"D-Damn… you…"

"It is over. You have proven to be a waste of my time… As expected from the lapdog hollow of a human." Byakuya's index finger pointed at the forehead of his enemy. "Hado 4: Byakurai."

"Got ya'!" The binding spells around the broke in an instant, as Ichigo grabbed the arm pointed towards him. Summoning his sword in the next second, he severed the limb of his opponent.

"You… filth!" Byakuya's hollow renegeration stopped the bleeding, but a missing arm was too much to replace during battle.

More fragments of his mask kept adding themselves to Ichigo's face, as the hollow stared at Byakuya.

"I think it is about time to finish this off, eh?" A huge grin covered his features, right before he launched himself for the final attack. Byakuya managed to deflect it, but the hand of his enemy grabbed his throat a second later, lifting him up, then flash-stepping into the air and throwing Byakuya down towards the ground with such force that in the wake of the impact, a crater was formed, as the buildings around were destroyed by the shockwave.

Ichigo's hollow walked in small steps towards the broken body of Byakuya.

"So… in the end, who wasted who's time, eh?"

"Ru-ki-a."

"Huh?"

"Ru-kia…"

"It seems you lost your mind. I shall put you out of your misery, then."

"Ru-ki-AAA!"

Hollow Ichigo was blasted away into the wall of the crater by an explosion of pure reiatsu. The continous blast made him unable to move.

From the clearing dust, he saw a figure standing up, emanating a tremendous amount of spiritual pressure. Ichigo narrowed his eyes to see more clearly, but his reaction was too slow for the attack that followed.

"What… the hell… argh…" He fell to the ground, half his torso obliterated by a white cero.

The figure before him became clearer. A white mask covered his face, lacking any markings, extending into 3 pair of horns of large, medium and small size, letting his black hair flow in between them. Protruding from each of his shoulders, through the tarnished captain haori, were three bands of what seemed like cloth which came together in order to form a mantle over his back that reached all the way down to the ground.

Hollow Ichigo could barely breathe anymore, his blood gushing from his body and seeping through the rocks of the crater.

"I will not… be DEFEATED!"

[…]

"They are now both in the complete hollow possession stage." Urahara spoke, sensing the second explosion of reiatsu, similar to the first. During all the time they spent together, Yoruichi had never seen so much worry inscribed in Urahara Kisuke's features.

"If they are allowed to continue, Karakura will be destroyed in the wake of their battle." She had barely finished her statement, when a white and red light collided in the distance, bringing about an earthquake and the destruction of the area.

"It has already started. We cannot wait for the arrival of the captains. We must do something to stop them, even if it means our lives!"

"The technique is prepared, but not even the two of us can release enough spiritual pressure to activate it on not one but two beings of their level."

"Then we teleport them, if they cannot be sealed."

A white cero that obliterated another chunk of Karakura town, and stopped into the towering building next to them forced Urahara to make a decision.

"Fine… Take this and chose a suitable location." He handed her a sheet of paper with several markings drawn onto it. "I shall be the point of origin."

"Kisuke… I…" She paused, looking him in the eyes, opening her mouth to say something, but settled for "Take care."

He noded, and disappeared. The spell he had prepared was problematic to say the least. Because of the high amount of reiatsu it consumed, they only had one shot at this, and that meant touching both of the subjects at the same time in order to teleport them.

The center of the battle consisted of wrecked cars, destroyed buildings, craters and deep scars in the ground. He could feel the crushing spiritual pressure of the monsters that fought just ahead of him, looking to tear each other apart. He tried to conceal his own reiatsu, in an attempt to not be perceived as a threat, and get close enough to actually make visual contact. A few moments later, he saw them… two white beasts, locked in combat, clashing swords, rending flesh with their claws, sending bolts and destructive waves of highly condensed reiatsu at eachother. To Urahara's luck, it seemed that for now, they both preferred close combat, testing each other's physical strength, and that meant it would be easier to get close to both of them at the same time.

He did not have another second to think of a plan, as Byakuya's hollow detected him and charged a cero towards his direction.

"Bakudo 99: Bankin. First song: Halting Fabric." A cloth material made out of spirit particles engulfed Byakuya, before he could release the cero. "Second song: Hundred Linked Bolts. Third song: Great Seal of 10000 Forbiddings!" Urahara looked towards Tessai's direction, giving him a quick look of appreciation for having just saved his life, after which turning his full attention towards Ichigo's hollow who seemed content to simply watch as his original enemy was being binded to the ground.

"Hurry! I cannot hold him any longer!" Tessai spoke with a struggling voice, the hollow's spiritual pressure fluctuating as he struggled to escape.

Mere moments later, Urahara helplessly watched as millions of black petals descended upon his childhood friend, encircling him and carving up his body. He did not have time to think of what had just transpired, when Ichigo's hollow appeared behind him, grabbing his arm from the shoulder, tearing it from his body and then cutting him in half from the waist, with a single blow.

* * *

**Hope you enjoyed it.**

** Leave a review stating your opinion of it.**


	7. Chapter 7

**I presend to you the next chapter. Not the longest, but not the shortest either.**

* * *

The battle quickly resumed after the _minor_ disturbance, as the black petals started swarming around Ichigo, which kept them at bay through the shockwaves that followed his blows.

"These gigai always come in handy, don't they?"

"That truly was too close for comfort. " The muscular man stared his friend down.

"At least we got a glimpse of their power, so we can better approach them."

Tessai noded, yet could not help but think that it seemed suicidal, to attack not one but two monsters who had the power to break out of a rank 99 fully executed binding spell. Another wave of condensed reiatsu passed over their head.

"Let's go! Awaken, Behinime!" Urahara jumped from under the cover, heading straight for Byakuya's hollow form.

The all too familiar, sharp sound of a cero being charged did not seem to faze Kisuke's rush towards his opponent, as the next moment, Ichigo fell to the ground, entrapped in binding spells with the cero released prematurely, causing it to completely miss any of the available targets. Byakuya's Senbonzakura, however was fast enough to catch up to the former captain's movement, crushing him into the ground with sheer force rather than cutting power.

"Shibari Behinime!" came his voice from behind Byakuya as yet another replacement gigai had finished serving its purpose. "You really have turned into mindless beasts to think we would attack you head-on. Hiasobi Benihime Juzutsunagi!"

The blood tinted net that wrapped Byakuya exploded within seconds of the command, as enormous flames reached towards the sky.

"That should keep him down for at least a bit of-" but Senbonzakura immediately came crashing down on him.

"Daiguren Hyorinmaru!" Byakuya's blades were frozen in mid air as the zanpakuto of the 10th squad captain bathed the entire area in a wave of ice… a diversion which Kisuke was most grateful for, as he used it to retreat.

"You took your time." He looked at the short, white haired shinigami.

"Unfortunately, it takes time to assemble all the captains of the Gotey 13." Came the response, as the rest of the captains materialized next to him.

"One of the captains pertaining to the Court of Pure Souls has become a danger to Soul Society and the Real World. It falls into our hands now, to make sure that he is stopped." Yamamoto's voice thundered from above them. "You have received your orders. Carry them out."

[…]

"I've always wanted to fight you again… Ichigo!"

"We are going to work together on this." Komamura flash-stepped next to him.

"Hmph..speak for yourself!" Zarraki charged Ichigo, throwing his eyepatch away "C'mon, Ichigo… gimme a good fight, now!" The hollow jumped back to evade the blow, but the reiatsu released acted as well as any physical attack, propelling the hollow into the building behind him.

"Remember our purpose here. We must take them with as little damage to the city as possible." Kurotschuci Mayuri sighted at the reckless use of force displayed by the 11th squad captain. "Then again, what was I thinking, expecting a brute like you to understand orders."

"That's boring. In that case, he's all yours now." However, Ichigo appeared behind Zaraki , landing a kick into his stomach as the captain turned to face him, sending him flying, then immediately turning to slash at Komamura who barely blocked his swing.

A mass of black petals crashed down onto their location, forcing them to disengage from combat.

"I am your opponent, Kuchiki Byakuya!" Toushirou flew towards the hollow, engaging him in close combat. He already knew from the spiritual pressure of his enemy that he could not last long with such a fighting style, but all he needed to do was act as bait and position him.

"There!" Soi Fong appeared out of thin air behind Byakuya, trying to exploit the opening, but to her surprise, the 6 lines of cloth on the hollow's back came to life, blocking her attack and wrapping themselves around Suzumebachi a moment before her opponent turned and pierced her body with his hand.

"Bushogoma!" A whirlwind encircled Byakuya just as he was preparing to finish off Soi Fon, allowing the 2nd squad captain time to regain her footing and withdraw. "You shall answer for Ukitake's death. Bushogoma." Another whirlwind, spawned from Kyoraku's blades, closed in on the hollow, but as he dodged it, both Kyoraku and Toushirou appeared above him. "Takaoni."

[…]

"Sir, the technique is ready." Yamamoto simply noded and the man which spoke before him started drawing symbols on his hands, uttering the words of a kido. "Bakudo 77: Tenteikura."

The captain's attention became focused on the Captain Commander's voice which seemed to come from inside their own mind.

"The transportation technique is prepared and will be used in a matter of seconds. On the other side, all captains' restrictions shall be lifted. Do not forget who we are fighting."

A bright light engulfed the entire battlefield and as it disappeared, so did the combatants, almost instantly reappearing within Sereitei.

A white cero broke the silence that followed. Byakuya aimed for Hitsugaya who evaded by spreading the wings of his bankai and taking flight. The hollow followed with a jump towards him but was struck by a red cero in mid-air.

"Even with 10 Captain class opponents engaging them, they still look to tear each other apart…" Urahara spoke in a hushed tone, almost to himself. He picked up Rukia in his arms, looking to carry her away from the fighting. "It is alright, Kuchiki-san. Experiencing the teleportation kidou puts tremendous strain on the body. Even though you are not yet at a captain's level you handled it pretty well." He smiled while talking, as Rukia passed into unconsciousness.

Byakuya , who saw his prize carried away, wanted to follow but got engaged by Yoruichi. The flurry of blows that incurred pummeled the hollow into the ground, forming a crater around him, but as soon as she took a moment's break , Senbonzakura clashed around them to protect her master. Byakuya got back into the fight almost unscathed, his hollow regeneration mending even such wounds with ease. In the blink of an eye, he appeared behind Yoruichi. The woman flash-stepped, barely avoiding the sting of his blade.

"His speed has increased… but it hasn't surpass-" Byakuya disappeared from her field of vision and the next thing she knew, he had his hand clenched around her neck as he lifted her into the air.

"Shunko!" A chunk of the hollow's arm was practically disintegrated by the full force of Soi Fong's technique. "Yoruichi-sama!" She could barely stand from the wound he had caused her earlier, and having used Shunko in such a state nearly exhausted her completely, but it had to be done. She caught her former master before falling onto the ground. "Yoruichi-sama… are you alright?"

"Soi Fong! Watch out!" It was too late however. In catching Yoruichi, the 2nd squad's captain made the mistake of turning her back to the enemy. A mistake she had not time to regret, as Senbonzakura pierced her chest.

"Yo-rui-chi…sama" Blood gushed out as the blade exited her body.

An ice dragon bearing down on him forced Byakuya to jump back before he could cut down Yoruichi as well. He turned towards the silver haired shinigami once again.

"Don't bother… you've given me too much time to set this up." Ice columns erupted from the ground , in a circle pattern around Byakuya. "Sennen Hyourou." And with a twist of his zanpakuto the bars of ice united, entrapping the hollow into an icy tomb. "One down." Hitsugaya walked away as Senbonzakura's petals were now silent and immobile on the ground.

Nearby, Zaraki was fighting Ichigo's hollow, along with Komamura who, with his power unrestricted, had released his Bankai. The giant sword of his zanpakuto's released form slashed downwards, as the ground beneath the point of impact erupted with a powerful shockwave. As the dust cleared, Komamura's eyes betrayed his shock to see the hollow having caught the blade bear-handed.

"All the destructive force of that swing… did not even faze him… Just with one hand…" The cero that followed obliterated Tengen Myoo, forcing his bankai to dissipate. "Im-possible!"

Zaraki charged Ichigo yet again, taking advantage of the fact that Komamura was out of the fight. It never was his style to fight in a combo and the fact that he had to collaborate with others irritated him. But even with his way of thinking, the current opponent he was facing gave him pause. Ichigo's complete hollow form had already survived one of his hits while using the Kendo style Yamamoto taught him. He had already fought Ichigo before, but right now, in this form, he was on a completely different level.

Again, his blade was blocked, as the small hill behind Ichigo crumbled from the blast of Zaraki's swing. Their strength was on par and as long as he did not let Ichigo put any distance between them, he would not have time to charge a cero. Still, he was getting hit and despite the injuries he had suffered until then not being grave, his opponent had superior speed and it would only be a matter of time before he landed a serious blow.

Kurotshuchi, however, did not have anything against attacking an opponent who had their attention on somebody else, and although he would never fight with a brute as Zaraki, that did not mean he could not use him. His blade did not manage to thrust deep into the flesh of his enemy as it took him by surprise, but it did not need to. A grin appeared on his features, and soon after the hollow collapsed, its body slowly disintegrating.

"It's over. The second one has fallen as well. My blade was coated with a highly corrosive poison that has now spread to his entire body. As you can see, Zaraki Kenpachi… what your brutish strength could not defeat, has been eliminated with only a swing from my zanpaku-" Blood gushed out of his mouth. "What- "

The hollow roared ferociously as Zangetsu had cut clean through the captain of the Division of Research and Development, its hollow regeneration, proving to be strong enough to combat the poison, keeping him together.

"I can't… die like… this." Were the last words of Mayuri as the two halves of his body fell apart from eachother.

[…]

"Kurosaki Ichigo's hollow is proving more problematic than we anticipated. There is no time to rest. Having taken one down means we only completed our mission halfway." Toushirou spoke to Kyoraku moving to face the new opponent. He did not manage to take more than a few steps before the ground beneath him erupted with white energy. The young captain fell down, the right side of his body completely charred from the energy burst.

"Hitsugaya –taicho!" Shunsui rushed to his position but Senbonzakura blocked his path while its master rose from the crater he had created with the previous cero. "You used your zanpakuto to carve your escape through the rock beneath you, making his technique useless. Damn you, Kuchiki Byakuya. You have brought this upon yourself. Bankai! "

Byakuya's enemy vanished from his sight before he could launch another attack and within seconds a blade managed to thrust into his body. In vane he turned around to counter-attack after, for there was no one near him. Blood gushed again, this time from his right shoulder, and again from his left leg. The next wound was so deep that almost cut off the hollow's arm, yet everytime he turned to counter, the hollow found no enemy. His enemy was invisible and used that as an advantage to keep himself a move ahead and out of reach.

Kyoraku watched from the shadows that now concealed him as the wounds of his enemy regenerated. It would certainly take more damaging hits than that to defeat him, but as long as he was the only one landing blows, the fight could only have one outcome. He prepared the charge again, but stopped suddenly as he saw the hollow lift his hand in front of him. The blades of Senbonzakura formed a shield around him. It was clear that he understood what was happening and tried to counter the attacks. It had become a game of patience, then. All he needed to do was wait until his opponent showed an opening. Unfortunately for him, he failed to determine the real reason for the shield around Byakuya. It was too late now as the remaining blades had already formed a sphere around both of them. The shield around Byakuya disappeared and its petals joined the walls of the sphere, just before he escaped from its perimeter with a quick dash. The moving walls closed too fast for Shunsui to follow him. Immediately he attempted to find a way out, but the walls started closing in more and more, shredding anything that would come close. From outside, the hollow just watched as slowly, through a grinding, rotating motion, the sphere eventually became smaller in size than the stature of his enemy and all that seeped through the blades was dark-red blood.

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**That is all for now. Reviews with opinions are welcome.**


	8. Final Chapter

**The story is finally over with this chapter, which is not very long, but hopefully good. I wished so many times, while writting it, that I could bring my characters into an animation and make the readers see the conflict and feelings of the characters exactly how I saw them, with the timing that I imagined and the tone of voice that I wanted them to have. Because of this, I felt this chapter, who focused a lot on conflict and feelings was writted inadequately...simply because it had to be written as opposed to being seen. Still, towards the purpose of giving readers an impression on the characters, I chose 3 songs, as themes (to be watched on youtube).**

**/watch?v=wMwvOs0ABVE&feature=related would be Hollow Ichigo's theme. It is already that, regardless of wether I chose it to be in my fic, but I feel the need to link it anyway, in case some of you never heard this song.**

**/watch?v=IyLH08BLhGU&feature=related is the theme I chose for Byakuya. You shall notice that his theme is not as "crazy" or hyped as the one I picked for Hollow Ichigo. That is because I see Ichigo's hollow as primal, beastly... savage. It is like an animal trying to survive and therefore, chaotic, as his theme song. Byakuya's hollow is darker, brooding and hatelful... guided by more than just the instinct to survive.**

**/watch?v=ET3mhIfkCXA And finally, this is the theme of their whole fight, but mainly after Rukia joins in. I chose it because it gives me a very dramatic feeling that I think suits the whole thing.**

**I also had a picture ready to show of how I imagined Rukia during her ((spoiler)) Bankai ((spoiler)) but I could not find any way to link the picture, regardless of my attempts.**

**Enjoy.**

* * *

Rukia awoke to the light of the moon. The first figure who she recognized was the captain of the 4th squad. Getting up, she flash-stepped to her position, atop a half-destroyed building.

"You can see almost all of the destruction from here…" the captains voice was trembling. It was the first time Rukia saw the 4th division captain fazed by a situation… the first time she saw tears in her eyes, but as she, herself, turned to see the same view, her eyes widened in shock and she fell to her knees.

Nothing. There was absolutely nothing left. No buildings standing, no corpses to show there was a battle… just nothing. As if that part of Sereitei had not even existed.

"The battle was somewhat contained, until Yamamoto Genryuusai himself fell. After that, they had nobody else to turn against, but themselves… and then _this_. "She glanced over the battlefield on which all of her captain level comrades had been defeated, and most of them killed.

A wave of light chased away the darkness of the night before it disappeared. Rukia turned her head towards its source: Soukyoku Hill.

"You cannot stop them. Nobody can." Unohana's voice gave away her lack of hope. "Kuchiki Rukia!" she screamed after the girl too late, however.

It did not matter if Unohana had lost hope. It did not matter if she was not strong enough to intervene. All that went through her mind as she unsheathed her zanpakuto was that she had to try. Several more flashes of white and red light lit up the sky before she arrived at the top of the hill, but as Rukia climbed the last stair to the platform where the Soukyoku Cross once stood, her body began to tremble from the pressure. An image of Ichigo smiling towards her rushed to her mind, giving the necessary strength to take another step. Then the image of Byakuya saving her; another step forward, and another, and another…

Two figures stood out from the dust clouds, the moonlight reflected on their skin. Their form had changed since their original transition to full hollow possession. The six pieces of fabric that came out of Byakuya's back had not turned into full fledged wings, which he used for defense when Senbonzakura's shield would be bypassed by his opponent, while Ichigo's spine now prolonged into a tail and the two horns on his head were considerably thicker. For a moment, it seemed to Rukia like they were an angel and a demon, from the books she would read in the human world, like two white spectres, appearing for a few seconds when ready to hit and vanishing afterwards, then reappearing to strike again, locked in a deadly dance that would end only when one of them is vanquished by the other.

"Byakuya Nii-sama…"

[…]

The black petals of Byakuya's Zanpakuto were harder to see during the night, but that did not stop his enemy from throwing himself carelessly in the middle of them, if only it meant getting to his target. Rukia prepared herself for another shockwave as soon as she saw Ichigo slashing the air, a Getsuga forming and moving rapidly towards Byakuya.

"At this level nothing that I can do will even reach you… which is why…" Renji's moment of death replayed in her mind "Renji…" her captain being stabbed by Senbonzakura, while trying to protect her "Ukitake-taicho… I am so sorry. All if this is my fault." She took a step forward, making sure she had a balanced stance. "Ichigo… Byakuya Nii-sama… I wished I could have revealed this to you under different conditions." She closed her eyes taking in a deep breath, opening them a second later "BAN-KAI!"

A wave of reiatsu clashed with those of the hollows drawing their attention to its source. Their new target appeared in completely white, long and elegant robes, held across her waist with a violet sash. An ice flower rested in her hair, just above the corner of her left eye and the ground froze where she chose to step.

"4th dance: Frigid Wind!" Rukia's garments started moving slowly as dark-grey clouds formed above Sokyoku Hill. She pointed the tip of her zanpakuto at the sky, then slashed towards the two. The air immediately became unbreathable as the icy tempest released from her sword drastically decreased the temperature in the whole area. "I may not be able to move as fast as you, but this freezing blizzard will numb your senses and drag you down to my level."

She prepared to flash-step towards Ichigo, ready to attack, but her eyes widened as her target appeared before her, midway grabbing her throat, lifting his sword to the level of her head and thrusting it, only for the blade to be caught by the hand of Byakuya.

"Ru-ki-a…" he attacked Ichigo with his free hand, forcing the other hollow to release the fragile shinigami and defend itself.

A kick to Byakuya's stomach obtained the desired distance for Ichigo to charge a cero at the new target in the fight.

"2nd dance: White Ripple!" The red cero clashed with the wave of ice and overpowered it completely but Byakuya intercepted it by placing himself in its path and launching his own in the last second. It was for a moment that he looked at her over his shoulder, his eyes seeming to contain more than murderous hate, just before he spread his wings fully and used them to gain momentum in his charge at his oppoment.

Ichigo charged another cero, but Byakuya maneuvered in flight, dodging it as two swords formed in his hands from the petals around him. He threw the first one towards Ichigo who was forced to use his own blade to deflect it, then disappeared from sight, appearing behind his opponent, to take advantage of the opening he had created. The blood from the hit solidified in mid air as the wound started regenerating. Byakuya did not pause, however, abandoning his sword and flash stepping in front of Ichigo, grabbing him by the throat in order to hold him still, and using his other hand to puncture his enemy's stomach. Ichigo released a painful roar, but a second after, he caught the hand holding him and severed it with his zanpakuto.

Byakuya felt the fistful of flesh that he tore from his enemy's body with his last hit crumble between his fingers as it turned to dust. He watched the wound he caused Ichigo close up and regenerate, just as his severed hand was growing back.

Rukia watched them stare eachother down. She understood the reason for their pause. While the regeneration process of a hollow was powerful - in their case ludicrous- it consumed vast amounts of energy, and during this process, they could not maintain their normal offensive capabilities. This was the perfect moment to make her move.

"2nd dance: White Ripple!" After the ice blast covered both of her targets, encasing them in ice, she flash-stepped next to Byakuya. Such a technique would not hold them down for more than a few seconds. She had no time to apologize for what she was about to do.

"Final Dance: Icy Touch." Just as the hollow shattered the ice around him, her white zanpakuto managed to pierce the skin on his arm, drawing blood, then disappearing before he could grab her.

Tears started to flow from her eyes, turning into ice from the freezing temperature around her, when she saw the man she loved raise his hand to look at it.

"Only a scratch is enough for this technique to kill… The moment my blade passed through your skin and come in contact with your blood, the process started. The blood near the initial wound will be frozen and in turn will freeze anything it comes in contact with, mainly the rest of the blood from within your body. There is no defense against this attack once the chain reaction has started. Stopping your blood flow will nullify the hollow regeneration process and little by little your body will shut down. When it reaches your heart… then you will be… at peace."

Rukia's eyes widened as Byakuya released a terrifying roar while grabbing his arm from the shoulder and ripping it whole from his body, in order to stop the effect, the already frozen part shattering from the impact with ground as he threw it at her feet.

The shock from his actions left Rukia open for attack… an opportunity that Ichigo, who had broken free of the ice shortly after his nemesis, would not miss. He lunged himself at the small woman for daring to interfere in the fight, but his blade passed through one of Byakuya's wings and stopped in his chest as the hollow moved in to protect her.

Byakuya released a low hiss towards the other hollow who was more than content to see blood gush out of his enemy's wound. The fight was over. Ichigo slowly twisted the blade in order to obtain more satisfaction from his now assured victory. Byakuya's hiss, immediately turned into a roar as he took a step forward, further impaling himself on Zangetsu's blade, and grabbing the face of his enemy with his right hand. In vain did Ichigo try to escape, as the point-blank cero that followed completely obliterated his head.

The blade in his chest slid slowly out of its incision point, but immediately after, Byakuya collapsed next to Ichigo's still twitching body. Vital organs were beyond healing when it came to a hollow's regeneration powers.

[…]

The first sounds that he heard were that of Rukia's sobs as she cried over him.

"Rukia…" he opened his eyes, able to finally control his own body.

"N-Nii-sama!"

"There is not… much time… Rukia." He felt the pain in his body slowly, but surely disappearing.

"What?"

"_He_ is trying to heal me… using all of his power to… repair the damage."

"Please!" she took his hand into hers "You must save your stre-"

"You _must_ not… allow him… to complete the healing." Byakuya turned to gaze upon the headless body of Ichigo "If he returns… there will be… no one… no one to stop him."

She closed her eyes, tightening the grip on his hand.

"Rukia… " he waited for her to open her eyes again "Your last technique will work now. I shall not fight it. " Byakuya grabbed the blade of Sode no Shirayuki just below the hilt.

It was not fair to be asked such a thing. How could she execute the reason for which her heart was beating? It was different when she believed the monster within him had consumed him completely, when she had no hope of him ever returning to her. But now, when he did, against all odds… it was not fair…

"Ru-kia…" another wave of tears spilled from the corners of her eyes when she heard her name, but the words came out on their own "Final Dance: Icy Touch." Sode no Shirayuki started glowing faintly at her master's command.

"Forgive me…" he slid his hand slowly, all the way down to the tip, leaving a trail of blood across the blade.

He felt the chill of death climbing through his veins, and his hollow maddened with rage, trying to get out, to survive… but all of that did not matter now, for he finally felt her lips upon his.

"I love you…"

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**That was it, I suppose. I wanted to finish this before the New Year, perhaps as a present for all who had the patience to keep reading the story, despite the very long periods between new chapters being published.**

**Your opinions are, as always, welcome.**

**Thank you for reading and have a wonderful New Year.**

**That is all.**

**coAtL.**


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